Believe
by BigRedMachineUK
Summary: Still hurting from a nasty breakup, Eve is convinced that love does not exist. But Ted decides to prove her wrong...in the most romantic way possible. A belated Valentine's Day one-shot. Ted/Eve, Maryse.


_**A/N: This is my very first stab at a Valentine-related fic. I know you'll be seeing a lot of those around at this time of the year, but I thank you very much for choosing to read this one as well. I also hope you review and let me know what you think about it. Enjoy!**_

* * *

_**Believe**_

Eve Torres snorted with disdain at the red circle surrounding the date before tearing her eyes away from the calendar hanging on the wall. Tomorrow was February the fourteenth. Who cared? Everyone on the WWE roster except her, apparently. She _used to_ care, once upon a time. She used to get all giddy with excitement too whenever that date came around. But that was when everything was going right for her.

What a difference one year made.

It felt like it was just yesterday when she was celebrating Valentine's Day with her fiancé and making plans for their summer wedding. He would soon dump her and run off with another woman a month before they were to marry. Apparently he just couldn't "keep up with her busy work schedule". Then, as if she hadn't been humiliated enough, he proceeded to publicly and unapologetically flaunt his new trophy. Her eyes welled up with tears at the thought of that asshole and everything she had sacrificed for his ungrateful ass.

Work this past week was torture as she had to listen to her friends gush and speculate about what their other halves had in store for them on Valentine's Day. She was happy for them; she just wished she didn't feel like gagging every time she heard another one of their sappy stories. A few guys on the roster had asked her out but Eve turned them all down. The emotional stress that often came with dating and relationships just wasn't worth it anymore. No man was worth the heartache she kept putting herself through over and over again. With that one act of callousness, Morgan single-handedly destroyed the concept of love for her. And since February fourteenth now represented everything she stood against, the date was now relegated to just another day in her "busy work schedule".

And as far as Eve was concerned, that was exactly where it belonged.

* * *

Idly flipping through the new WWE magazine as she waited for her flight to be announced, Maryse Ouellet turned to her on-screen boyfriend, Ted DiBiase Jr., who was sitting quietly beside her with his head in his hands. Her brows furrowed with concern. He'd been like this all morning and she wondered what was wrong. Attempting to engage him in conversation, she asked, "So, Monsieur DiBiase...what are your plans for Valentine's Day?"

He said nothing. In fact, he didn't seem to have heard her at all. "Ted?" Maryse ducked her head down to peer into his face. His blue eyes were sad, dejected even. "Teddy," she cooed in her lilting French accent, reaching out to rub his back soothingly. "What's the matter?"

The two of them had been friends for a long time now. They could trust each other with a lot of things. But Ted wasn't sure that Maryse could help him this time. Instead he sighed, raised his head and stared pointedly at her lap. Maryse followed his gaze down to the open magazine, where the image of the current WWE Diva's Champion smiled back at her. The French-Canadian immediately identified her friend's problem. "Let me guess. This is about Eve," she inquired, meeting his eyes. "Yes?"

A slight blush rose to his cheeks as he nodded.

"Aww," Maryse sighed and put a hand to her chest. "You really love her, don't you?"

Again, another reluctant nod. "But I don't think she feels the same way."

Maryse's sculpted eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "So you told her?"

Slowly, reluctantly, Ted shook his head.

"_No?_ What do you mean, 'no?' You've liked her since forever and you still haven't told her that you have feelings for her? What are you waiting for?" Despite her outburst, Maryse was not too surprised. Ted was not the guy the fans saw on TV every Monday night; brash, cocky, a victim of his own hype. He was quiet, reserved and humble. He was a complete gentleman and treated every woman he came across with respect. Any woman would have been lucky to have him, including the one he was so in love with.

"Look, I just can't," insisted Ted. "We're really good friends, you know? It'll only make things weird between us."

"But Mike and I are together," Maryse reasoned, referring to her real-life boyfriend, Mike "the Miz" Mizanin. "And we started out as friends."

"Yeah, but what if it _does_ go weird between me and Eve? I don't want to lose her friendship," Ted admitted, his heart actually beginning to ache at the thought of losing the Latina altogether. "She's very special to me. I know she's been through a lot and I don't want to complicate things by droppin' this on her, y'know?"

Fully understanding, Maryse shot him a sympathetic look. "Look, I know it seems complicated, but it isn't. Just go for it. If you two belong together, then it will work out. And trust me when I say that you two _definitely_ belong together."

Ted looked up at her, his eyes bright with hope. "You really think so?"

When she nodded, he pursed his lips, allowing her words to sink into his mind. It all sounded good, really good, but was it too good to be true? "Do you have any idea how hard it is to tell a girl that you love her?"

"Maybe," Maryse replied, smiling gently. "But I think you owe it to yourself to tell her. You can't go on like this."

He sighed, letting a moment of silence settle between them. "So, what should I do?"

"Simple. _Show_ her that you love her…what's that word…_woo_ her."

A dull sense of dread climbed up his chest. "How?"

Maryse lifted her eyebrow in surprise. "_How_? Flowers, cards, chocolate, the works, that's how. Ted, Evie _needs_ this. Do you know how long it's been since anyone did anything romantic for that girl? She's _long_ overdue for a bit of romance in her life." She leaned closer to the former Legacy member, her voice dropping to a playful whisper. "And since tomorrow's Valentine's Day and you don't have any plans…maybe it's the perfect time to do something special for her."

Ted pressed his hand to his temple in concentration. Obviously he was considering this; whether, just whether, he could actually pull this off. After a few minutes, his eyes finally met Maryse's, a nervous smile on his face.

"Will you help me?"

* * *

_Valentine's Day…_

Eve let out a tired sigh, moving sluggishly down the pathway to her Tampa home. Damn, she was _exhausted_. She'd just managed to get some sleep last night after her multi-hour flight back home, then at nine o'clock this morning, Maryse had stopped by the house and dragged her out for a "girls' day out". It was now nearly eight p.m., and the Latina was just getting home.

Eve understood why her friend was doing this for her and she loved her to death for it, but if the blonde was preparing for her night with Mike she should have left her out of it. She just wanted to spend her few days off soaking herself in a nice warm bath, cooking and then laying in bed for hours, sleeping; forgetting, if only temporarily, about the hell she'd gone through over the past few months.

As she fumbled inside her bag for her house keys, her cell phone suddenly rang loudly, the sound tearing through the quiet Tampa air. Growling impatiently, Eve pulled the phone from her purse and saw a message icon with Maryse's name blinking at her. Didn't they just see seconds ago? Jeez. Rolling her eyes she opened the message, wondering what the French-Canadian Diva wanted now.

_Whatever you see when you get into your house? Believe it. Believe _him_._

Eve sighed with annoyance. What the hell was she talking about? Believe what? And who the hell was _him_? Figuring that Maryse had sent the message to the wrong number, she snapped the phone shut and unlocked her front door, acutely aware that she was seconds away from getting her well-deserved sleep. She pushed inside and her eyes grew wide, her handbag slipping out of her grasp.

The lights were off, but you would never have noticed with the candles that beautifully illuminated the room. They were everywhere, and an appealing scent emanated from them, wafting through the air like sweet incense. Eve's stunned stare fell upon the table underneath the mirror on the wall to her left. There sat a vase with a long-stemmed red rose inside it. Her body moved on its own accord, walking to the table to take the rose. She inhaled it before turning her attention to the red-colored card that was propped up against the vase.

_Hello, my love. I hope you like the candles. See how they light up the entire place, just like you light up every room you walk into. You light up my heart, my darling. Come, let's take a walk. Follow the trail_.

She couldn't recognize the writing. Her senses were even too numb to fully grasp what was going on. She noticed how the candles were lined up like a lit runway ahead of her, making a trail for her to follow. Putting the card away, she followed the trail, which seemed to be taking her to her den. Her heart swelled as she saw more vases standing alongside the scented candles on the floor, each containing a red rose. On reaching the den she froze, her mouth dropping open.

There had to be dozens of them; dozens of marble vases, each containing a red rose, all over the room. They came together to give the room a wonderful, floral fragrance. If Eve liked roses before, she _loved_ them now. In the middle of the den stood a blow-up photograph of her, and Eve recognized it as her favorite photo from the WWE Divas' most recent Valentine's Day shoot. There was another card addressed to her, on top of the picture. She managed to unfold it with shaking hands.

_I know how much you love roses, my dear, so I made sure I could fit as many as possible in here. They may be beautiful but they pale in comparison to you, my love; you are the most beautiful face in this room, or any room for that matter. Words cannot describe the way I feel inside when I look at you; you spark my passion, ignite my fire, fuel my every desire. Your beauty takes my breath away. Breathe in, Princess._

She took a deep breath, and she'd never smelled anything so wonderful. She continued reading the card.

_Let's go upstairs._

With numb legs, Eve left the den and went upstairs. More red roses and more candles adorned both sides of each staircase, the lights from the candles giving the stairs an angelic glow. On reaching the top of the stairs she read the rest of the note.

_Walk into the bathroom._

Eve moved quickly, pushing open the bathroom door, and she had to take a step back. "Oh my God," she breathed, putting her hands to her mouth.

Tiny candles lit the bathroom and all around the bathtub, making the whiteness of the tiles glow even more radiantly. Eve raked her hair out of her teary eyes, touched yet in disbelief by all of this. She looked into the bathtub. Yes, more red roses, cut into petals and sprinkled all over the water. She dipped her hand in the tub; the water felt _so_ warm and inviting…

_I ran you a bath, darling. You must be tired from the long day. Go on. Take a dip, if you wish. I also left you some treats by the tub. _

Unable, or rather, unwilling to resist, she placed the card on the sink and took off her clothes. She sighed contentedly as she lowered herself into the warm water, making herself comfortable. A big smile spread across her face when she spied a white china plate filled with fat, juicy-looking strawberries, accompanied by a bowl of melted chocolate sitting on the side of the tub. Stuck among the fruit was another card. Putting a chocolate-dipped strawberry into her mouth, Eve took the note and read, eager to know what else this mystery man had to say.

_Delicious aren't they, the strawberries? So ripe and perfect and tasty, and the chocolate; so irresistible and sweet. You, my love, are irresistible. Oh, what I would give for just one taste of your sweet lips, to kiss them for all eternity; to run my fingers through your long, beautiful hair and your perfect face and your perfect body. Every day I long to make you mine, and I hope someday you will give me that chance._

Eve felt her entire body flush with appreciation. These were such flattering words. She lay back and settled fully into the tub, then reached for another strawberry. She glanced at the other side of the tub and saw the Bath & Body Works gift set containing a shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. And it was Sweet Pea fragrance; her favorite.

She took her time bathing, savoring the warmth of the water, the soothing effect of the rose petals, the taste of the strawberries and chocolate; everything was just intoxicating. After what felt like an eternity, she stepped out of the tub, sorry that she had to leave. She put on the fluffy white bathrobe that hung on the door. Her fingers brushed against something inside one of the pockets and she pulled it out. It was another note.

_I take it that you enjoyed your bath. If you did, then I'm very happy. Believe me, I was tempted to stay back and join you, but I'll save our meeting for another time, which will be very soon. _

Eve felt a swooping sensation in her stomach.

_There's another surprise for you in your bedroom, but I don't want you to go in there yet. Come to the guest room. I have something for you._

She made her way into said room, and more tears fell from her eyes. Laid out on the bed was a beautiful red dress. She held it up against her frame. It was long, and strapless and absolutely gorgeous. There was a card on the bed beside the dress.

_A dress fit for a Queen. Do you like it? You wore red the day we first met all those years ago, and I never forgot how stunning you looked. That day I fell deeply in love with you, and I haven't recovered since. Please. Try it on. _

It was the perfect size. The dress was corseted and clung to her curves, spreading out at the bottom. It was very beautiful indeed. She walked over to the full-length mirror and admired herself before reading the rest of the note.

_I can only imagine just how amazing you look right now; my Princess, the Queen of my heart. You conquered my heart a long time ago, Evie, and I wish to be at your service for the rest of my life. I want to be the man that will treat you like the Queen that you are, to hold you and kiss you and love you forever. _

_The journey is slowly coming to an end, my love. Come back downstairs and head to your backyard._

Filled with curiosity, she obeyed, lifting her dress slightly as she descended down the stairs, going through the kitchen and out the back door. She stepped out and gasped.

Another trail of candles and roses was created along her lawn leading to the gazebo outside, which glowed with even _more_ beautiful candles and roses. Overcome with emotion, Eve walked towards the gazebo, and getting to the middle of it another moan of surprise escaped her. There was a new addition to the array of ornaments. Balloons. Pink ones, red ones, white ones; all at the top of the low ceiling, dancing in the light breeze. She turned around slowly, breathing in the invigorating scent of the roses and candles. Hanging from the tail from one of the balloons was yet another red note. She plucked it off the balloon and eagerly opened it.

_There you are. Look up, sweetheart. Look at the balloons. Watch how they float, like they are reaching for Heaven. I feel like I'm in Heaven whenever I'm around you. You make me feel high, and I never want to come down. That's the kind of effect you have on me, Princess, and I never get enough of it._

_Now, there is one more thing I want you to do for me, my love. Put the card away, and close your eyes. _

Her heart began to race.

_Please trust me, sweetheart. Just close your eyes and listen…I am coming. Listen. Feel me coming to you._

Doing as she was told with the card, she then shut her eyes, releasing a nervous sigh. Seconds later, she heard movement. She could hear someone coming.

Him, no doubt.

She tensed, instinctively holding her breath. She could feel her heart pounding mercilessly in her chest, wracked with nervous anticipation. His heat radiated off him, giving her much more warmth than the candles could ever give. Eve held back a gasp as she felt him standing directly behind her. Though her eyes were shut tightly, she could almost see him as he circled her, then her face got warmer and she knew he was standing directly in front of her. She could smell his cologne, and her knees weakened. God, he hadn't even touched her and she was already feeling heady. Eve trembled slightly as she felt something soft and warm press her forehead, and then the tip of her nose. His lips, for sure. He had just kissed her face. She suddenly found herself wishing those lips were pressed against hers. Then…

"Open your eyes, Princess."

Her eyes fluttered open, then – not for the first time this unbelievable evening – widened in astonishment. "_Ted_?"

Ted smiled shyly, taking a slight step back and then extending his hand to her, presenting a long-stemmed pink rose. "Happy Valentine's Day," he said, looking into her eyes.

Taking the flower from him, she stared hard at him, as if trying to figure out whether he was an illusion. He looked like he'd just walked out of GQ magazine, wearing a pair of fitting black dress slacks, and a red shirt, his blue eyes bright with the love he had declared for her in the notes.

Ted watched nervously as the love of his life eyed him, tears in her eyes as she clutched the rose in her hands. Clearing his throat, he began to speak. "You must be wondering what's going on. It's just…I know you've been going through a tough time. You've been hurting and I just wanted to do something for you. I wanted to make you smile again, if only for a while."

"Ted…" she said, her voice a stunned whisper as she looked around, "How…how did…" she trailed off as the answer she was searching for suddenly dawned on her. The long day out with Maryse…the constant stalling at every store by the blonde woman…the text message…

Oh God. It had been all about _this_.

Unnerved by her silence, Ted swallowed hard. "Look, I'm sorry if I offended you. I can clear them all out…it's no big deal-"

But Eve shook her head rapidly, silencing him. Her warm brown eyes searched his for what felt like forever to Ted. He could tell that she wanted to say something else, and his worried eyes remained locked on hers. Then, she dropped her head, letting out a heavy, rattling sigh.

And just like that, the euphoria of the evening began to trickle away, giving way to the pain Eve had tried so hard to suppress for such a long time. Once more, the guilt of what she had done reared its ugly head, like it always did whenever she felt some sense of happiness, no matter how fleeting or momentary. When she looked up again, refusing to meet his eyes, there were fresh tears streaming down her face. "Ted, I…I've done some horrible things, Ted. You can't _possibly_ want me…"

The misery in her voice caused his nerves to dissipate. He cupped her face, tilting her head up to meet his eyes. "Eve, I know about your baby."

Those words left her reeling, like she'd been punched in the gut, and Eve struggled for breath. Her eyes swam in a tragic sea of agony, shock, humiliation, fury; betrayal. "Maryse…"

Ted quickly put his hands up to placate her. "No, no, no, it's not her fault. She wanted to protect you, I swear. I begged her to tell me. I wanted to know exactly what happened that made you so unhappy." His voice lowered to a soft whisper. "So she told me, and it breaks my heart that you had to go through all of that alone."

"I had an _abortion_, Ted," she spat, her beautiful face a mask of misery. "I murdered my own baby. No matter what I was feeling towards Morgan at the time, I should never have taken it out on my child. Now I live with the guilt every day. That's why I don't want to get close to anyone anymore. I just lash out without thinking of the consequences. I can't do that to you. It's not fair to you. I deserve to be alone."

"No you don't," Ted insisted. "We all make mistakes and we make decisions we regret every day. It takes time to get over the pain and the hurt, but sweetheart…I want to help you heal. I want to be there for you, to share your laughter and your pain. I want to be everything to you. I'll do anything for you…just say the word and it's done. Here, feel this."

Taking her hand, he pressed it to his chest. Eve couldn't stop the soft cry that escaped her lips. His heart was beating so rapidly, so soundly and proudly. His eyes never left hers. "Feel that?" he said softly, covering her hand with both of his. "This is what you do to me. My heart, my soul; they belong to you. I'm in love with you, Eve, and whatever happened in your past is never going to change the way I feel about you."

So many different feelings swirled within her at a time, overwhelming her, and she began to cry in earnest. This tragic loss she had suffered had weighed her down for too long. "I thought I could handle it on my own," she said miserably, "I thought I was strong enough to get over this. But I'm not. I'm _not_. And I just want this pain to go away because it hurts…it hurts so much."

Ted moved closer, kissing the tears that trailed down her cheek. "Don't cry, darlin'," he whispered, moving his lips to the other cheek. "God, I didn't mean to make you cry. I'm sorry. You don't have to be alone anymore. I'm here now. Let me be strong for you. Let me love you. That's all I ask."

Without warning Eve stood on tiptoe, crushing her mouth against his. Ted returned the kiss instantly, wrapping his arms around her and slightly lifting her off her feet. She clung to him, never wanting to let go.

"Ted…Stay with me tonight." She kissed him then spoke again, their mouths still touching. "Make love to me." She pressed her lips to his once more, almost desperately. "Please, I…I need you."

They kissed again, with even more passion, if that was possible. Eve leaned into him, and Ted scooped her into his arms, carrying back into the house like she was his bride. He gazed lovingly into her eyes, and Eve pressed her forehead against his, her heart threatening to burst out of her chest. All this time, and she never knew. They were such good friends…she had no idea that he felt this way about her. But _what _a way to show her. It felt like a dream. This whole evening felt like a dream.

Ted continued up the stairs and towards her bedroom, the one room he didn't let her open. For the umpteenth time, Eve's eyes widened as she took in the sight before her; the candles, rose petals were scattered all over the bed in a mix of pink and white and red. She kept her eyes locked with his as he moved to the bed and laid her in the center, hovering over her. He marveled at her breathtaking beauty; her glowing skin, the way her hair spread out on the bed in a wavy chocolate pool; the way her eyes sparkled with love. Love for him.

None of them moved for a long time, simply gazing into each others' eyes. Licking her dry lips, Eve finally spoke. "Ted…I never knew…about how you felt."

"I know, baby," he said, brushing the hair out of her face, "but it never stopped me from hoping…_dreaming_…that this day would come."

"And now it has," she said softly, leaning up to kiss the crook of his neck, enjoying how he shivered with pleasure at her action. "I want to love you. I want to believe again. Love me, Ted."

"Always," Ted breathed, dipping his head and capturing her lips in a sweet kiss. And on the day of love, seeds were sown of a love that was true and pure and honest, and – if both had their way – would last forever.

FIN

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_**A/N: Awwww. Hope y'all loved it. Please let me know with some feedback. And be sure to check out my other stories! Peace!**_


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